The Wilton girls hockey team played its first-ever postseason game on Wednesday night and found out it was no vacation.

Especially when two of its players actually were on vacation.

With junior forward Sammi Blicht offically out for the season due to illness, Wilton was forced to skate with basically a nine-girl team — two watered-down offensive lines and a three-girl rotation at the blue line — and hope for the best during its FCIAC semifinal against Darien.

The Warriors might have well taken a water gun to a Super Soaker fight as they got out-shot by a 42-18 count.

Amazingly enough, though, the Blue Wave only beat the Warriors by a 3-2 score.

That's what heart can do to a team.

The Wilton Warriors that took the ice on Wednesday gave it everything they had in them. From seniors Lara Schnitzler and Christie Huidekoper to freshman Emilie Arrix and Sam Engborg, the Warriors left it all on the ice and almost pulled out the unlikeliest win in teams history.

Freshman Madison Hendry, sophomore Erin O'Connell and even Huidekoper not only rotated at the blue line, but they played some forward, too.

"I can't remember the last time I played forward," said Huidekoper, a team captain. "Lara kept having to remind to get out on the wing."

At one point during the game, Engborg dove in front of a shot, sacrificing her body to block the shot before it even got to senior goaltender Emily Tucker — who on this night was Kevlar-like, turning away 39 of 42 shots.

The Warriors took a giant step on the ice this year proving they belong to be a varsity team in the FCIAC.

Off the ice, though, the program is still so young that some players and parents need to understand what the commitment level is to be able to call yourself as a varsity player.